mikedimples wrote:
Better to "stamp" the layer, meaning to have photoshop take everything that you see and copy it to a new layer. The shotcut is shift+alt+control+e.

Why?

Davepit wrote:

Why?

In case you need to alter the layers below. By stamping them you create a merged layer of all the other layers below without losing the ability to go back and fine tune something. Let's say at the last step you want to sharpen, you can sharpen the stamped layer.

Lea Halliwell wrote:
I think when you merge you lose the opacity settings (if any) that you had on either layer.  Not sure about flattening.  I don't think you do.

I didnt realize that....thanks a lot

mikedimples wrote:
Just as a side note, many people flatten or stamp when they don't need to.

Good point. A common example is flattening or merging (or stamping) before saving as a jpeg or gif. No need to do any of that. Just go directly to "Save as" or "Save for web" -- and leave all the layers intact in the .psd file.

Snap2 wrote:
There is actually no technical difference between merging and flattening - .

Except you can merge specific layers & leave other layers out of the merge. If you flatten w/ hidden layers, it deletes those layers...

Paul

Digital Joint wrote:
Merge is meant to be done on partial layers vs. all the layers as in the final operation prior to saving as a .jpeg.

See my post above.

mikedimples wrote:
Better to "stamp" the layer, meaning to have photoshop take everything that you see and copy it to a new layer. The shotcut is shift+alt+control+e.

ooo i like this thanx

Lea Halliwell wrote:
I think when you merge you lose the opacity settings (if any) that you had on either layer.  Not sure about flattening.  I don't think you do.

Merging perserves layer opacities and transparency. Flattening preserves layer opacities but not transparency.

With layers:



Layers merged:



Layers flattened:

mikedimples wrote:
Better to "stamp" the layer, meaning to have photoshop take everything that you see and copy it to a new layer. The shotcut is shift+alt+control+e.

So just to make sure I am clear and understand you well, DO NOT merge or flatten once I have combined 2 images together?

For example, if I take a cut-out image of a model in a bathing suit and I drag that to lets say....a beach background. What should I do next in order to make it look more real or authentic because I have tried to do that but the image does not look real or like she is ACTUALLY on the beach or the picture was taken ACTUALLY on the beach. Please advise..

Snap2 wrote:
Except you can merge specific layers & leave other layers out of the merge.

Yes obviously

I think that's the problem - things aren't as obvious to the photographers coming in with questions as they are to the "wizards" who live here.

I hope this demystifies the terminology: Flatten turns the whole document into a flat image with no layers. If you have, for instance, 3 layers including a background, merging them will have the exact same effect as flattening (if the bottom layer is not a Background, then it's pretty much the same, but it's technically still a layered doc). Merging can be limited to certain (even non-contiguous) layers, flattening always flattens the whole thing.

As for the confusion about opacity surprises; take some time to educate yourself about what Photoshop is doing in different layer blending situations - I'm really not intending to sound like a smartass - and you can more easily predict what merging selected layers will do, and what workarounds you can use to combat unwanted side-effects.

Kym Trice wrote:
So just to make sure I am clear and understand you well, DO NOT merge or flatten once I have combined 2 images together?

For example, if I take a cut-out image of a model in a bathing suit and I drag that to lets say....a beach background. What should I do next in order to make it look more real or authentic because I have tried to do that but the image does not look real or like she is ACTUALLY on the beach or the picture was taken ACTUALLY on the beach. Please advise..

If it's not convincing, then definitely don't flatten (yet), you still have some work to do, either feathering your mask, or fixing your lighting/color on either the subject or background. You never need to flatten, except when saving (a separate copy) for output.

Digital Joint wrote:
Merge is meant to be done on partial layers vs. all the layers as in the final operation prior to saving as a .jpeg.  Flattening is used for all the layers.  Merge to combine two or more layers but not all layers, Flatten to merge all layers.

Ok......that was an answer that I was looking to receive in reference to the difference. Also, I was trying to learn how make business cards and the instructions said to save as CMYX and flatten layers.

Kym Trice wrote:

Ok......that was an answer that I was looking to receive in reference to the difference. Also, I was trying to learn how make business cards and the instructions said to save as CMYX and flatten layers.

Do a save as then flatten, then save it as a .tif.

Mac is Lost wrote:
Do a save as then flatten, then save it as a .tif.

You don't have to flatten. Just choose Save As > Tiff, then make sure these two boxes are not checked.

mikedimples wrote:
To make her look like she's at the beach, make sure the lighting is hitting her the same way that the beach's light is going, make sure the color of the light is the same by using color balance command to match midtone, highlights, and shadows with color of the light at the beach. Usually the sun gives a yellow cast, the ambient light and shadows will have a cool cast, but not always. Run a levels (or brightness/contrast if you're a newbie) to match the values (light dark) of the model with the beach. Make sure the focus is the same, and make sure the noise is the same.

Flattening or merging a composite has no effect on how realistic it looks.

ok....I need to try this and see how it works. I hate bringing the two images together and it not looking authentic or real.

Peano wrote:

You don't have to flatten. Just choose Save As > Tiff, then make sure these two boxes are not checked.

I didn't say you had to flatten. But if you're doing a business card layout. I would flatten the tif before bringing it into In Design or Quark.

Mac is Lost wrote:

I didn't say you had to flatten. But if you're doing a business card layout. I would flatten the tif before bringing it into In Design or Quark.

What a minute....lol....so I need to go into In Design after flattening the TIF to finish the card? If so, thats cool but I didnt know that...I have In Design as a package deal in the Master Suite Collection that I purchased but have not used it thus yet.

Mac is Lost wrote:
I didn't say you had to flatten. But if you're doing a business card layout. I would flatten the tif before bringing it into In Design or Quark.

If you save it as a tiff and untick the boxes I indicated, there are no layers in the tiff. You don't have to flatten the .psd file in order to get a tiff with no layers. That's the point I tried to make several times before: People often flatten .psd files needlessly.